Sauteed red snapper with purple cauliflower medley and cauliflower puree recipe

Ingredients

• 1 head white cauliflower
• 1 clove garlic
• 3–4 cups whole milk, or a little more if needed to cover the cauliflower
• Salt and white pepper, to taste

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 head cleaned purple cauliflower florets
• 1 pound lobster mushrooms, chopped
• ½ pound corn kernels, cleaned and blanched
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons minced shallot
• Butter, to taste
• Parsley, finely minced, to taste
• 1½ teaspoons finely chopped chives
• Salt and pepper, to taste

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 4–6 (6-ounce) red snapper fillets, skin-on (striped bass may be substituted as well)
• Salt and white pepper, to taste

For Cauliflower Puree
1. Cut off the florets of the cauliflower and place in a heavy-bottomed saucepot. Add the clove of garlic and cover with whole milk. Bring to a simmer and cook on medium heat, about 10 to 15 minutes, until florets are soft. Strain but keep the milk to the side. Add the cauliflower to a blender. Blend on medium-high speed, slowly adding milk to blender—enough to purée the cauliflower but not to liquefy it too much; you don’t want a soupy consistency. Season with salt and white pepper to taste.
For Purple Cauliflower Medley
2. In a hot sauté pan over medium heat, add oil and coat the pan. Add the cauliflower and mushrooms to the pan and allow to cook for a few moments, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the corn, stir, and then add the garlic and shallots. Allow to cook on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Then add butter and herbs to coat the vegetables and season to taste with salt and pepper.
For Red Snapper
3. Preheat oven to 400°F. In an ovensafe sauté pan over medium-high heat, add oil to coat the pan. Season the fillets with salt and white pepper. Add fillets to pan, skin-side down, pressing down into the pan slightly. After a few moments, about 2 minutes, place in oven uncovered and cook for 12 minutes or so, until fish meat is flaky but still shiny.
To Complete
4. On each plate, place a dime-size swirl of Cauliflower Purée and a spoonful of the Purple Cauliflower Medley. Top it with the fillet of Red Snapper slightly off-center and drizzle the turnip oil tightly around the dish. Garnish with two long, beautiful chives for presentation.